▎ 摘　　要

Despite of many attractive properties of AIN, the current concern about the AIN focuses on its low fracture toughness below the ductile-brittle transition temperature. To improve its mechanical properties, the approach commonly utilized has been the addition of a second phase to form composites and to make nanostructured materials. In this respect, graphene was evaluated as the reinforcing agent of AIN ceramics using novel sintering method (high-frequency induction heated sintering method). Highly dense nanostructured AIN and AIN-graphene composites were achieved within two min at 1600 degrees C. The effect of graphene on the microstructures and the mechanical properties (hardness and fracture toughness) of AIN-graphene composites was investigated using FE-SEM and Vickers hardness tester. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.